1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transparent objects having an inclusion arranged therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
From FR-A-1 138 950 a method for manufacturing a transparent object is known. According to this prior art method two complementary halves of an object are provided such that either contact surface of the respective halves to be directed to each other is provided with a central recess, the complete recess in the final composition forming the boundary of a cavity having a specific shape corresponding to a three-dimensional object. It is noted that according to this prior art reference such an object defined by the central recesses has a xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d nature, since only the boundaries of the object are present and the cavity bounded by the recesses has a shape corresponding to the shape of a simulated object or inclusion.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,251 a method for manufacturing a transparent object is known, said object being composed of two transparent halves in their assembled state bounding together a cavity in which a honey liquid is enclosed.
Both prior art references have in common that the final transparent objects are bounded by flat surfaces, whereas the method according to the present invention is also directed to manufacturing a transparent sphere. Furthermore, none of the prior art references discloses the use of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional inclusion which is embedded in the cavity formed by the recess or the recesses in a transparent mass encapsulating the inclusion.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a transparent object in which an inclusion is arranged. A spherical object can for instance be envisaged in which a substantially two-dimensional or three-dimensional object is accommodated.
The stated objective is generally realized according to the invention by a method for manufacturing a transparent object, for instance a sphere, with a substantially two-dimensional or three-dimensional inclusion, which method comprises the following steps, to be performed in suitable sequence, of:
(a) providing two complementary halves of the object such that at least one of the two contact surfaces of the respective halves to be directed toward each other has a central recess which also forms the boundary of a cavity for accommodating at least a part of the inclusion;
(b) arranging at least said part of the inclusion in said recess; and
(c) mutually adhering the two halves, for instance by means of the parts of the two contact surfaces extending round the central recess, in order to form the object;
wherein the cavity formed by the recess(es) is filled with a transparent mass encapsulating an introduced inclusion, for instance a liquid or a glue which is transparent after curing, wherein the inclusion is accommodated in the cavity.
Claim 2 is a further development. In this embodiment the transition surface between the object and the mass can be seen only with difficulty or not at all.
The invention, also relates to a transparent as specified in the claims 1-18.
The steps according to claims 17 and 18 offer the possibility of controlling within determined limits the magnification resulting from the optical effect of a half and of making this magnification dependent on the side from which a user views an inclusion. The method according to the invention offers the possibility of manufacturing an object, wherein an introduced object is embedded as an inclusion, as if it were xe2x80x9cfloatingxe2x80x9d in a transparent mass.